186 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 7, 1871. 



Phttning Apple and Pear Trees (E. Chapman).~Th6 mode of pruning 

 Apple and Pear trees to render them fruitful, i8 to attend to summer 

 pruning or pincbin^?. All the shoots except those required for extension 

 should be pinchfd back to three leaves in July, or when they have made 

 about a foot of growth, and pinching should be repeated every month or 

 six weeks up to the third week in September. The shoots required for 

 extension should be trained in at their full length, but if they are as long 

 as required treat them the same as the other slioots. The spurs must 

 not be interfered with, but by stopping the shoots they will attain fuller 

 development, and lifiht and air being admitted to them they will form 

 Jruit-buds. The shoots pinched back should, as soon as the leaves have 

 fallen, be cut back to within half au inch of their origin. We fear your 

 trees are in a wet soil ; if they are drain it well, and to check their luxu- 

 riance we would take out all round a trench 3 feet from the stem, cutting 

 tlirough all roots thicker than whipcord, and working under the ball to- 

 wards the centre and below the bulk of the roots. Cat through any that 

 have a downward tendency. Fill up the trench with a compost of two 

 parts strong loam, one part brick and old lime rubbish, and ram firmly. 

 Take care that the trees are not lowered by the process, but, making au 

 opening under one side, fill that before the other is commenced. Imme- 

 diately after the leaves have fallen is the proper time to do this. Mulch 

 round the stem with littery manure over a circle of about S feet in di- 

 ameter. If the trees are already planted low lift them, and plant so that 

 the setting-on of the roots may be about a foot above the gpneral level. 

 Cover them with about 3 inches of soil, and form a cone highest at the 

 stem of the tree. It may be necessary to water in the early part of sum- 

 mer. Summer pruning being attended to, we think your trees will fruit 

 a year afterwards. 



Vines Infested with Scale (A Constant Reader).— The leaves sent 

 have the upper surface blackened by the secretions of the Vine scale 

 (Coccus vitis), and those insects are in abundance on the leaves. It is 

 the worst case we have seen, and the fruit we should consider spoilt. Your 

 only remedy now is to syringe the Vines thoroughly with water at a 

 iempernture of 160'-, adding a wineglassful of spirits of turpentine to 

 every three gallons. This will destroy all it comes in contact with ; but 

 *s there will be parts that will not become wetted, repeat the application 

 every second night for a week. After the leaves have fallen (and as they 

 fall clear them up daily and burn them), and when the Viups are pruned, 

 strip nti'all the loose bark, scraping well the angles and crevices, but not 

 damaging the live hark, burning the bark removed ns well as the prun- 

 ings ; then with a brush wash the Vines thoroughly with water at a 

 temperature of 140°, adding a wineglassful of spirits of turpentine to 

 every gallon. Have the house thoroughly cleaned, the glass washed with 

 clean water, the woodwork with soap and w'ater, the walls limewashed, 

 and finally all the woodwork of the house inside well painted. As soon 

 as that is done dress the Vines with 4 ozs. of soft soap and sufficient 

 sulphur vivum to bring a gallon of tobacco water to the consistency of 

 paint, heating it to 140'^ and applying it with a hr'ish thoroughly. Do 

 this early in winter, and again late in winter, just before the eyes begin 

 to swell, taking care not to rub off or dislocate the eyes. We cannot 

 ■greply privately. 



Planting a Vinert to Produce Fruit next Year (Vexed Gardener) 

 — There is hardly anything impossible where the purse is big enough. 

 Were we in your case we would have from fourteen to twenty good Vines 

 well established in say 15-iDch pots, the Vines being two years old and 

 ■well ripened, or if ripening now all the better. These we would not prune 

 so very much back, but keep them for fruiting next year, and a little the 

 y^ar afterwards. We would not plant them in the usual way, but make 

 a large hole in the inside prepared border to let the pot down, so as to 

 haye the rim covered 2 or 3 inches. Before setting the pot down we 

 would widen the hole at bottom, and break the pot, so that whilst the pot 

 clung to the ball the fibres could get out all round as the Vine grew. 

 These you will observe are temporary Vines. The others should be good 

 plants — say fourteen or so in all, and we would plant them in the usual 

 manner, cut them well back, and take nothing except a few berries from 

 each the first year, and crop lightly until the third season. For Vines to 

 bear in pots, but the roots allowed to extend, for the early house have 

 one Dutch Sweetwater, one Royal Muscadine, one Muscat Hamburgh, 

 one White Frontignan, and the" rest Black Hamburgh. For the later 

 house have Black Hamburgh. Trentham Black, Canon Hall Muscat, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Lady Downe's, and Trebbiano. For permanent 

 Vines you could scarcely have better or more productive kinds, only if you 

 keep a good heat in the late house you may add Kempsey Alicante and 

 West's St. Peter's, or even Gros Guillaume, all of which like a Muscat 

 temperature. 



House for Forcing Strawberries (SnZoji).— The simplest and most 

 economical plan in your case, would be a lean-to house in the orchard- 

 house style, with ventilators at the top, and in front louvre boards move- 

 able all the way. Have the flue where most convenient, not far from the 

 front; then have a fixed or temporary stage— say 16 to 18 inches from 

 the glass, to receive the Strawberry pots. These you can place and water 

 from behind the stage. The same stage would do for dwarf plants of 

 any kind. Vines, too, might be planted and kept outside until the forced 

 Strawberries were over; or Cucumbers and Melons might be grown and 

 he trained with little trouble over the stage. 



Forcing Strawberries (H. R. Du Pre).—li you did not mean to take 

 ■up these large vigorous plants until April, you might lift them with large 

 balls, place them in your frumee and pits, and pack the balls firmly with 

 earth. For early work the lifting and replanting will not do. You must 

 have the plants established in the pots. We have no recollection of the 

 previous directions, but if the plants are so very strong we question 

 much if they would not be better potted, and fresh rooted and established 

 iQ the pots before winter, as the mere check would diminish growth 

 and help to the thorough maturation of the wood; and if the pits and 

 frames are empty, you could plunge the pots in them during the winter. 

 You will have earlier, and in most cases heavier crops of fruit by these 

 means. 



Peach Border on Gravel Subsoil— UNDERaROUND Mushroom 

 House (X. Y.). — We should not think of adding clay to the bottom of an 

 open gravel subsoil for a Peach border. We would sooner make part of 

 the gravel into concrete ; bat, on the whole, if the gravel is at all open, 

 ■we would make the border on it, and entice the roots to keep near the 

 surface by surface-mulching. We would under the circumstances ht^ve 

 a ventilator from the top of the stokehole Mushroom house. We would 

 j-ust as soon make the Mushroom bed on the natural sandy bottom as on 



one of bricks or flags, only the latter will be a somewhat better safeguard 

 against woodlice. There is little to choose between them, but bricks 

 look better and more finished. 



Mushrooms Grub-eaten (W. Yateman).—TiiG grub is apt to assail 

 Mushrooms in houses in summer, from being too close and hot. Sweep 

 the beds clean over, water especially at the back and front, syringe the 

 walls and pathway, give a little air, not a keen draught, and put no 

 covering on the bed. A shady place out of doors, or a cool cellar, is the 

 best for Mushrooms in summer. 



Propagating the Banksian Rose and Weigela rosea (Idem). — 

 The Banksian Rose and Weigela rosea are easily propagated by using 

 stiff side shoots as cuttings, placing the cuttings in sandy soil with sand 

 on the surface, and then putting them under a shaded cold frame or 

 hand-light. They will strike on a border on the shady side of a fence, 

 but not so soon as by the above mode. 



Water containing Iron (J. N. N.), — Unless the water is greatly con- 

 taminated by the oxide of iron coming through iron pipes, we should not 

 he afraid to use it. If there is much redness from excess of rust or oxide of 

 iron, we would let the water stand some time in cisterns or barrels after 

 throwing, say, half a pound of quicklime into each receptacle of forty 

 gallons or so. Tliis, well stirred, will cause the iron to be precipitated 

 and fall to the bottom. 



Seedling Ageratum (W.).— Your Blue Bob Ageratum seems very 

 pretty, but we cannot speak definitely as to a head of bloom, as the habit 

 and vigour of the plant as well as its general height must be considered. 

 We find Imperial Dwarf excellent for the centres of dwarf beds, but for 

 an outside edging where water is scarce it does not answer so well. A 

 variety which will stand dryness will be an acquisition. 



Blue Lobelias (J. F. C). — Trentham Blue is a pretty dark kind, not 

 quite so compact as compacta. We would advise you to go to some of 

 the nurseries, and pick out a few pots of the colour you most favour, and 

 carefully save seed from the plants. Even with seed carefully saved 

 there is often a disposition to revert to such original types as gracilis, 

 light and grassy in comparison with many others, but still fine for hang- 

 ing baskets, &c. Pumila grandifiora is also very fair. Trentham Blue is 

 more vigorous, and in general the colour is a rich dark blue. 



Wintering Verbena venosa (A. P. S).— We have no doubt you can 

 keep the straggling roots packed iu cocoa-nut fibre during the winter. 

 We should prefer dry soil, and any place where no great amount of water 

 nor frost could reach them. If, however, you can command a hotbed 

 from January or February, we would trouble ourselves nothing about 

 the roots, but sow thickly in a pot, prick ofT the seedlings as soon as they 

 could be handled, and harden them off by the middle of May. Such nice 

 healthy seedlings will generally far transcend ia free blooming the old 

 roots, wliich must generally be cut and trimmed to make the most of 

 them before planting. 



Alternantheras and other Bedding Plants at Wiesbaden (Wies- 

 baden). — In a recent numberyou would see that Mr. Sheppard, of Bedford, 

 used various Alternantheras for edgings, belts, &c. You will find a good 

 variety of these pretty little plants in most of the London and large 

 country nurseries. They are easily raised from cuttings. We do not 

 know the " Soubellaria." was it also an Alternantherd? The brown- 

 leaved plant with small yellow flowers like a Wood Sorrel, we have no 

 doubt wag Oxalis corniculata rubra, which grows freely from seeds or 

 divisions ; in fact, often holds its own in many gardens. It succeeds well 

 if treated as recommended to another correspondent for Verbena venosa, 

 but just now we nave some beautiful edgings made by taking up in May 

 the little plants which have stood the winter, and planting them regu- 

 larly. As being so hardy, and making a fine regular wreath round pink 

 or yellow, we prefer it for some purposes to the Alternantheras. 



Seeds for Barbadoes. — Tt'^'a would be much obliged by anyone stating 

 which are the bt-st and most suitable seeds to send to Barbadoes. 



Smokeless Stote iH. K.).—We know of none that can be admitted 

 among plants without injuring them, nor did we ever know a plant-house 

 in which a flue could not be added to the stove without being an eyesore. 

 You enc'osed 3s 3d. in stamps. What for ? 



Sea-weed as a Manure (H. A). — We know of no crop or plant to 

 which it may not be applied beneficially. It should be applied quite 

 fresh, and whilst the plants are growing. It is especially beneficial when 

 applied to Asparagus, Sea-kale, Beet, and all the Cabbageworts, which, 

 of course, include the Cauliflower and Broccoli. 



Propagating Ageratums Tom Thumb and Imperial Dwarf (Aii 

 Amateur).— Both may be raised from cuttings put in now in sandy loam 

 and leaf soil, two parts of the former to one of the latter, and one part 

 silver sand. They strike freely in a frame over a gentle hotbed. When 

 they are struck pot them oflf singly in 3-inch pots, and winter in a light 

 airy structure, keeping them dry, yet giving enough water to keep the 

 foliage fresh. Seed maybe sown in March in a gentle hotbed, the young 

 lilants pricked off when'lnrge enough to handle, and forwaided in heat. 

 They will be good plants by May ; but unless you secure seed which will 

 germinate better than that which we have had, your stock of plants will 

 be small. 



Wintering Bedding Plants in a Room (Idevi). — The room being well 

 lighted we see no reason why you should not winter the plants safely. 

 The main point is to keep them dry, and yet give sufficient water to 

 maintain vitality. Having a fireplace in the room there ia no necessity 

 for a stove. A fire should-be lighted in very damp and in severe weather, 

 80 as to maintain a temperature above freezing point. Admit all the air 

 practicable, but only in mild weather. The Abutilon will live if kept dry. 

 When you take up the Geraniums remove most of the leaves, and be care- 

 ful in winter to take off all decayed leaves and parts. The Primulas 

 would succeed in the room if yon gave them a position near the window 

 and watered carefully. They would not, however, flower before spring. 



Soil fob Echeveria metallica (Idem). — Two parts light sandy loam 

 one part leaf soil, one part crocks, and one part sharp sand. The drain- 

 age must be efficient, and if you water sparingly the plants will winter 

 safely. 



Amaryllis Culture (C. H). — They succeed admirably in a compost 

 of turfy loam two parts, one pirt sandy peat, and one part leaf soil or 

 old cow dung, with a free admixture of sand. Drain well. Pots twice 

 the diameter of the bulbs will be sufficiently large. Repot early in 

 February, removing no more of the old soil than wiU come away freely, 



